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Class Act: Grant Berman

A junior in Newton has started his own company with the goal of helping the environment.

Grant Berman, a 16-year-old junior at Newton South High School has created a company to teach people how to compost.

“Composting is a natural process, breaking down of natural ingredients. What I do is speeding up that process by giving it everything it needs — food, water air — and making conditions best for it to decompose as fast as possible,” Berman said.

Dirty Boys Composting now serves about 50 homes.

“People are composting, but it’s not as widespread as it should be,” he said.

The idea for the business all started when Berman began growing worms in his basement.

“With all of my customers, I will give them a Tupperware of worms to add in,” he said.

Berman also sets up the composting bin, fills it, and then teaches his customers how to maintain it. His friends have said Berman is a “go-getter.” He may be young, but he has big plans for the future.

“When I started this whole thing, my parents told me when they were growing up recycling was the big thing, just kind of gearing up, and now it’s a given, you have trash and recycling bins,” he said. “What I’m trying to do is make compost that third thing at the end of the driveway to have trash bin, recycle bin and compost bin.”

Berman gets his composting bins from Newton City Hall for $50 each. He charges his customers for the bins at cost and then about $100 for delivery, set up, education and two follow up visits.

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